Tuesday, 6 February 2018

In what might be seen as a major intervention in CAMRA's Revitalisation Project, Bradley Cummings, co-founder and co-owner of Tiny Rebel Brewing has thrown his hat into the ring and will stand as a CAMRA National Executive member. What might this mean if he is successful in his attempt? Is it a good or a bad thing? Let's have a look.

Well we don't need to guess at his intentions as he lays out his plans in a short and succinct 23 page manifesto. Let's have a look at it.

On the (perhaps) positive side Brad :

points out the lack of member involvement in the Campaign

puts forward a number of ideas to increase that involvement

wants to "drive shit and get things done"

wishes to get the best out of the potential of nearly 200,000 members

agrees CAMRA should widen its remit to include the wider beer community

recognises that unprofitable pubs must close

thinks that pubs must adapt or die

agrees that CAMRA should establish an Industry Committee or suchlike

thinks we should have a focus on membership education though disagrees with proposed methodology

points out CAMRA isn't very cool

reminds us that a 300% increase in members has brought little by way of increased involvement

suggests a much better use of technology and direct membership involvement

reminds us that better choice not real ale was the CAMRA founding principle

states that poor quality cask ale is the biggest risk to the future of cask ale

urges us to vote with our feet when encountering poor real ale

I could go on but have picked these out for you. I'd urge you to read the whole thing here and make your own list.

On the (perhaps) less positive side Brad:

seems to disregard cider and perry as irrelevant

thinks brewers, not the beer drinking public know best about beer quality

supports the on trade as a way into pubs for drinkers

poo-poos cask conditioned ale as the pinnacle of the brewer's art

wants members to be distanced from breweries by allowing brewers to represent themselves, rather than though liaison officers

wants industry representation at all levels of CAMRA including direction and policy

postulates that quality comes at a cost

Now really with all this, you pays your money and you takes your choice. You can pick and choose the elements you like and dislike and while there isn't an awful lot that is entirely new, except perhaps that one of the brightest stars of brewing, in one of the most enterprising companies, actually wants to get involved with CAMRA and sees CAMRA still has potential. He wants to motivate members and get them directly involved in CAMRA's democracy and is willing to stand for election to rummle things up a bit, which many (including me) will see as a positive.

On the other hand, personally, I am very wary and can't really concur with (possibly inadvertently) repositioning CAMRA as a kind of offshoot of industry, though some closer involvement would be sensible. CAMRA must continue to be an independent consumer champion and the very idea that brewers know best about everything beer-wise certainly causes me to raise my eyebrows somewhat. After all brewers rarely speak with a common voice. Just look at hazy versus clear, not to mention many other subjective arguments about hopping rates, carbonation, pricing, packaging and like as not, a million things more.

So vote for Brad? Up to you really, but having chaired the Great Manchester Beer Debate at Manchester Beer and Cider Festival, where Brad was a panel member, I was impressed with many of his points of view. Revitalisation is something very different and maybe it is time for someone new to the Campaign, with an unconventional and non traditional background, to become a member of the Executive that will steer the changes through. There's lots you can add on the plus side and I for one reckon it might just be a good thing - assuming if elected - he sees his term to its end.

After all, cometh the hour, cometh the man.

The Great Manchester Beer Debate was interesting. Subject was loosely "The Price of Beer". I'll try and deal with this in a later post. Yes, on the whole, most brewers, despite the fact they say little comes their way, favour higher prices.

Brad would also knock the JDW tokens on the head. He isn't alone in this.Remember, all members will have a vote for both the National Executive and for Revitalisation. Use it.

9 comments:

Given that CAMRA is, nominally, a *beer* organisation, I would shift that "cider and perry are irrelevant" into the list of positives. The near-obsession with cider in (almost exclusively) the upper echelons of CAMRA has always baffled me.

Hmm, I've got reservations about this. For a start, it creates a potential conflict of interest. CAMRA is a consumer body, not an industry body, and while it should aim for a constructive relationship with brewers, it is not there to represent their interests, however small or worthy.

In setting out an overtly "political" manifesto, which NE candidates have traditionally not tended to do, there is a risk of factionalising the NE rather than everyone pulling together.

And is someone who is already busy running a successful and expanding brewery going to have the time to take on the very considerable workload associated with being on the NE?

If elected, Brad would still only one of a dozen on the NE, so it's likely that many of his ideas wouldn't reach fruition. I do, however, see some benefit in "rummling" things up a bit, and encouraging some new ways of thinking about CAMRA's relationship with the outside world.

>seems to disregard cider and perry as irrelevantI'm on the fence on this one. If it doesn't distract too much, then let them ride the coat tails of the more popular beer.

>thinks brewers, not the beer drinking public know best about beer qualityIn terms of the manufacture of, I'm sure he's right. From the "down mouth" end, not so sure.

>poo-poos cask conditioned ale as the pinnacle of the brewer's artThis was the one line in the revitalisation recommendations from the NE that I wish wasn't there. It's pandering to the traditionalists too much and isn't true. It can be a pinnacle but often isn't and other beers can exceed.

>wants members to be distanced from breweries by allowing brewers to represent themselves, rather than though liaison officers Not sure I blame him. I've often said that the brewery liaison role (BLO) should be one of most fun roles in CAMRA but for some reason, just doesn't work. The relationship between CAMRA and breweries is often strained. Considering they are the ones that took up the call to actually save real ale, the fact that one of our key campaigns doesn't involve breweries has always perplexed me. I don't see having a better relationship with breweries as undermining our independance. Unlike JDW vouchers!

>wants industry representation at all levels of CAMRA including direction and policyI think this would be a good idea as consumers, pubs and breweries are all involved.

Which candidate is gonna increase member benefits? I reckon £30 of Timbo tokens are in order. As return to free beer festival entry. Free ale to entice people to meetings. Where's the radical ideas that'll save this dying beer club of old codgers?

CAMRA claims to be a consumer body,however,paragraph f of its Appendix to the revitalisation proposals,reproduced in Bradley's manifesto,states that CAMRA seeks no involvement in the off trade,despite over 50% of beer sales taking place by off sales.The interests of the majority of consumers are therefore ignored by this 'consumer body' which seems to be undertaking the role of a tenanted publicans' protection society. Bradley,at least, recognises this and I wish him every success.

Welcome

A bit of a CV. Tandleman is a veteran beer lover, local CAMRA Chairman and activist, beer writer, beer reviewer and pursuer of all things good in beer. He lives in the North West of England and London. Despite his CAMRA membership, he does not limit himself to cask conditioned beer, though he believes that cask conditioning, when done correctly and appropriately, brings a quality to beer that is hard to equal by any other kind of presentation. He is a strong supporter of Northern methods of beer dispense and avidly detests poorly presented beer and dislikes pasteurisation. He regularly visits Germany, has conducted corporate British and German beer tastings for CAMRA at the Great British Beer Festival where he has worked for years on Biere Sans Frontieres and was Deputy Organiser at CAMRA's very successful National Winter Ales Festival in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 and at the Manchester Beer and Cider Festival from 2013 to date. He admires good brewers wherever they are and has travelled extensively in pursuit of good beer to drink.

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